Cuomo announces anti-corruption measures

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday proposed legislation to give prosecutors more power to combat public corruption and will for the first time require public officials to report corrupt actions by their colleagues.

The Public Trust Act he wants to see enacted this year would create new crimes and increase penalties for violating existing anti-corruption laws. The proposal would make specific crimes of bribing a public official, scheming to corrupt the government and failing to report public corruption.

Among the tools would be a way for witnesses to receive only partial immunity when testifying before a grand jury, as in federal cases, so that a witness isn’t free from being prosecuted by a local district attorney.

“The public expects elected officials to conduct their business ethically, honestly, and it’s time our laws caught up with reality,” said Cyrus Vance, Manhattan district attorney and head of the state district attorneys association.

“These are very sound proposals and they have support form district attorneys across our state,” Vance said at a Manhattan news conference.

Public officials for the first time would face a misdemeanor if they fail to report suspected corruption by a colleague. Former state ethics commission Executive Director Karl Sleight told The Associated Press on Monday that this was a key element missing from the many attempts at ethics reform from Albany.

“When it comes to public integrity, you can’t have enough cops on the beat,” Cuomo said.